At least 18 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in an inflatable boat died when it capsized south of the island of Crete, Greek authorities have said.
The half-sunken boat was located on Dec. 6 by a passing Turkish merchant vessel, authorities said. Two survivors were rescued and a rescue operation to find more was ongoing.
Greek state television channel ERT said the bodies had been found inside the vessel, which was taking on water and partly deflated.
Manolis Frangoulis, the mayor of Cretan port Ierapetra, told reporters that all the victims had been young.
"The vessel the migrants were on was deflated on two sides, which forced the passengers into a reduced space," he added. Coroners are looking at the possibility that the migrants died of dehydration, ERT reported. A Turkish cargo ship spotted it and alerted the authorities.
Migrants have for the last year turned their attention to the Greek island of Crete, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as a way of reaching European Union territory from Libya, in north Africa.
The U.N.’s refugee agency UNHCR says more than 16,770 people seeking asylum in the EU have arrived there since the start of the year.
In July, Greece's conservative government led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis suspended asylum hearings for migrants, particularly targeting those arriving on Crete from Libya.
The short but perilous journey from Türkiye’s coast to nearby Greek islands in inflatable dinghies or small boats, often in poor conditions, used to be the major route until increased patrols and alleged pushbacks reduced crossing attempts. In recent months, arrivals from Libya to Crete have surged.
Authorities have not yet determined where the boat came from.
A ship and a plane from European border agency Frontex, a Greek Coast Guard helicopter and three merchant vessels were taking part in the search operation.
